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Iran deal

People are openly counting Jewish vote in Congress on Iran Deal. So far 15 in favor, 9 against, 4 to announce. We grant Jews greater influence because of the Jewish connection to Israel and the Jewish organizations pressuring them, saying it’s anti-Semitic to support the deal.

Senator Cory Booker’s support for the President and Gwen Ifill’s triumphant tweet remind us that African-Americans have played a crucial role in opening a new chapter in the U.S. relationships to Iran, and Israel.

100 American women leaders, scholars, and activists have released a statement in support of the Iran deal. The statement, “We Women Support the Iran Nuclear Deal; We Say No to War and YES to Diplomacy,” was organized by women-led peace group CODEPINK. The statement is signed by leading women’s and civil rights activists Alice Walker, Angela Davis, Gloria Steinem, Barbara Ransby, Jane Fonda, Barbara Ehrenreich, and Eve Ensler, among others.

Ben and Jerry — Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield– are working for the Iran Deal against wobbly Democrats. Good for them. But when they condemn the “billionaires” who are trying to kill the deal, they purposely leave out the American Israel Public Affairs Committee– because Ben and Jerry’s have operations in Israel and sell ice cream in the occupied territories.

The fact that Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz didn’t lose her job as chair of the Democratic National Committee for bucking President Obama on the Iran Deal only shows that being feverishly pro-Israel is an important way to raise money in the Democratic Party and Obama must respect that.

The Republican presidential clown rodeo will be making a stop in Washington DC as Congress gets set to debate the Iran Deal on September 9th. Sen. Ted Cruz and reality television star Donald Trump will appear at a D.C. rally organized by the Tea Party Patriots, the Center for Security Policy, and the Zionist Organization of America to oppose the deal.

Israel’s interest continues to dominate Iran discussion: Washington Senator Patty Murray mentioned Israel more often than the United States in her statement supporting the Iran deal, while J Street’s petition backing Rep. Jerrold Nadler’s support for the deal only mentions Israel.

51 Christian leaders representing dozens of denominations and Christian organizations sent a letter to Congress today, urging lawmakers to vote in favor of the Vienna agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear program. The letter, signed by leaders from all the major streams of Christianity in the United States— Roman Catholic, evangelical, mainline Protestant and Orthodox, warns lawmakers that “rejection of this deal would be a rejection of the historic progress our diplomats have made to make this world a safer place.”

Why not outsource our foreign policy to the Knesset? Chris Matthews challenged a Republican opponent to the Iran deal, and when Jonathan Capehart said Chuck Schumer opposed the deal after study, Matthews said Schumer opposed it because he’s “going to defend the interests of Israel”

Paul Wolfowitz is back! Jeb Bush is talking to him, even as Netanyahu is said to be playing a loss on the Iran deal for a big win in the 2016 elections for a Republican who will back Israel to the max.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is throwing mountains of money around in an attempt to derail the Iran nuclear deal. NPR says AIPAC will spend $20 million to $40 million to oppose the Iran deal, but that might be a conservative estimate.

By saying that Haim Saban is “on the left” and leaving out AIPAC’s $40 million to J Street’s $5 million, a frontpage NYT article on Jewish donors and the Iran deal suggests that the battle is evenly matched, when the rightwingers are winning

Former political prisoners of the Islamic Republic of Iran write in support of the Iran Deal: “We believe this agreement would reinforce peace and stability in the Middle East and the world. It will help develop and foster a relationship between both the Iranian and American people that will strongly benefit the interests of both nations. Furthermore, such an agreement will help counter the spread of terrorism within the region and around the world.”

New Yorkers rallied Monday outside the midtown Manhattan office of Senator Chuck Schumer, most of them demonstrating against his decision to oppose the Iran deal. Counterprotestors also assembled, expressing support for Schumer and denouncing the nuclear negotiations in the shadow of a large inflatable mushroom cloud.

“Israel lobby” is a descriptive term, not an expression of bigotry. If Bill Kristol responds to Obama’s statement that Israel is only country publicly to oppose the pact by saying, “All the greater Israel’s glory,” I have a right to say that the Iran Deal opponents care about a foreign country.

Much of the lobbying for the Iran Deal has been an inside Jewish game, with the White House begging to address AIPAC activists, with two Jewish officials, Wendy Sherman and Adam Szubin. Chuck Schumer’s defection is damaging this effort.

13 years after he voted for the Iraq War, Chuck Schumer announces his opposition to President Obama on the Iran Deal during the Republican debate and Jon Stewart’s farewell. A case of political cowardice, could it damage his leadership future in the Senate?

In his most forceful statement for the Iran Deal, President Obama denounced a “mindset” of war over diplomacy that is “out of step with American diplomatic traditions,” and said he would be abrogating his constitutional duty if he listened to Israel.